Born of Fire
by Quicquidlibet
Summary: Because, you see, when you hear fire, you think smoke, flames. We think of falling rocks and salamanders. Semi-collab with theBrillianceofNight. Explanation inside.
1. Complicated

**So, theBrillianceofNight and I decided that we would take the same prompt and fandom and write corresponding oneshots using our preferred characters. So, I suggest you read hers as well. It's called Meteor Showers.**

**The first prompt is "bacon" and "complication"**

**I don't own Death Note. And if I did, why would I tell you?**

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><p>In the long run, I'm rather simple. I'm just Matt. I like videogames and sleep. The only complicated thing about me is that I maintain the third spot at Wammy's House without any effort. And considering that it's just third and not the top spot, even that's not very complicated; I just happen to be smart.<p>

And I'm cool with this. In a buiding filled to the brim with complicated people, being simple helps me survive them all.

"Are you eating bacon?" Mello asked.

I gave him a weird look. "Dude, it's three AM."

"Answer the question. Are you or are you not eating bacon?" he demanded.

"Since when do I eat when I play videogames?" I asked.

And he didn't say anything else after that. I just shrugged it off and continued my game.

At about eight in the morning I was dozing in and out of sleep, leaning against the edge of my bed, still gripping the controller.

"I'm getting breakfast. Want anything?" Mello called as he went to leave our dorm.

"Bacon," I said tiredly, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. "You wouldn't shut up about it last night."

"What are you talking about? I never talked about bacon. And aren't you allergic to pork?" Mello replied, eyeing me like I'm nuts.

"Right. Toast then. Wake me up when you get back," I told him, although I'm not really sure if my words were understandable because I slurred.

"You, Matt, are one complicated man. You know that?" Mello chuckled.

"No 'm not," I mumbled.

"You dream about bacon," Mello deadpanned.

Okay, maybe I am a little complicated.


	2. Exhausted

**The second prompt is "milk" and "interval"**

**Just a warning, I'm an American using British insults. Sorry if I misuse them.**

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><p>I groaned, collapsing on the ground as I was finally allowed to release my grip from the artificial rock-climbing wall.<p>

"Great job Matt! Now we can go on to the next obstacle!" Mello exclaimed with glee.

"Do I have to?" I whined, gazing up at him from my spot on the ground.

"Yes! Now come on!" he demanded as he pulled me to my feet. I continued to make noises of protest and pain as he dragged me to the next obstacle.

It was a local competition. Anyone could participate, as long as their team had five people or less. There were thirty obstacles in all, with a break every five. The obstacles themselves were a variety of tasks; if you failed to complete them within the given time limit you were disqualified. The winner was given a prize of two thousand pounds.

The obstacle I had just completed had consisted of me hanging onto a rock-climbing wasll with no support other than my own arms and legs. For seven minutes.

"Why did I agree to this again?" I complained, mostly to myself.

"Because you're way too compliant. Seriously, all I have to do is threaten your videogames and you do whatever I say," Mello replied cheerfully. Damn bastard.

"That was rhetorical," I growled. "I hate you, you know that?"

"Considering you tell me that on most occasions, yes. I am well aware," he answered, flashing me a cheeky smirk.

"Damn you. Stop being so cheerful, you bastard," I said with a fierce glare. "When's the next interval?"

"Three more," Mello told me, laughing at my misery when I groaned in exasperation. "Eight more until we're done."

The next obstacle was a doorway blocked by a bunch of ropes that Mello had to untangle in order for us to get through. Smug git, just had to rub it in my face that he got all the easy ones.

Since we were taking turns, the next one was mine. I had to transfer twenty glasses of milk into a bucket using only my mouth in order to find a key which we then had to return to the mayor's daughter.

"No," I stated. "You know I can't stand milk."

"Too bad," Mello retorted, giving me a shove. "It's your turn."

It wasn't that bad at first. Well, considering that I hate milk. But then it just got sickening. We found the key in the sixteenth glass and Mello's obstacle was finding the mayor's daughter to give back her key.

When he finally found her, I puked. What a lovely way to meet, don't you think?


	3. Threatened

**The third prompt is "We're gonna go bowling tomorrow"**

**This one's a little weird.**

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><p>If there's one thing that I've learned about Mello, it's that he uses strange phrases to let me know he wants to do something bad or illegal (usually both).<p>

Playing soccer means getting high. I'm surprised Roger hasn't caught this one yet. I mean, really. Soccer? In England? Honestly.

Paintball is for when he wants to get completely wasted on alcohol.

He starts talking about colored pencils when he wants to go steal something and needs my help.

I know he wants me to hack something for him when he offers me his chocolate.

But the one phrase that scares the shit out of me? "We're going bowling tomorrow." This means I've pissed him off and I have no way to save myself. Because when I do that, he gives a punishment that's so harsh and humiliating that my only choice is to slink back to him like a kicked puppy loyally begging for forgiveness, my tail between my legs and my eyes on the ground.

The others laugh at me. They find it funny that I do what he says. They call me a lackey, a dog. They refer to him as "my master." Mello doesn't know. I don't let it bother me. After all, they'd do the same if they were in my position.

Besides, they just assume that I do whatever he tells me because I want to. They don't see the full story whenever he gives me something to do.

They don't know that sometimes I'll refuse. He'll try to convince me. Eventually I'll snap and tell him a few choice words that I shouldn't. He'll ask "Want to go bowling?" And I'll blanch, take back what I said, and agree to his demands.

That's just what we do.


	4. Stalked

**The fourth prompt is "mistletoe" and "pez dispenser"**

**This one's my favorite so far. Except for the fact that I have a minor OC for necessity. The idea of a yaoi-crazed Linda was not mine, I got it from a story I read. I forget which one.**

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><p>I don't know how, but Linda seems to have picked up Mello's habit of making my life hell.<p>

You see, Linda likes me. A lot. Which makes things very awkward for me. A lot.

What's worse is that the only thing thing that she obsesses over more than me is yaoi. It's kinda creepy. And I'm not even exaggerating. She stalks all the gay guys she knows with a camcorder, just waiting for them to do something she can record.

It's disturbing.

My nightmare began the day I found out that she had gotten me a Christmas gift. I hadn't actually received the gift, but her best friend had warned me.

"You have to get her something! Don't be rude!" Rachel, Linda's best friend, had demanded for the twenty seventh time. In a row. Not that I counted, or anything.

"No!" I snapped. "That would give her ideas! I _don't_ like her!"

"It doesn't have to be expensive! Just get her something cheap, like a pez dispenser or something!" she persisted. "You'll look like an arse is you don't get her anything!"

I covered my face with my hand and let out an exasperated sigh. "Rachel, I already _am _an arse."

So she huffed in annoyance, slapped me, and stormed out of the room. All in all, not my best Christmas Eve morning.

Later that day, I was doing my best to sneak from room to room to avoid Linda's attempts to trap me under the mistletoe. When I reached the room that served as a common hang out area, I panicked. The room had only one entrance, so I was essentially trapped.

Glancing around, I soon realized that the only recognizable face in the room I could see was Near, so I went and crouched next to him and his current puzzle.

"I need your help," I pleaded in a half whisper. "Linda won't leave me alone."

He was about to reply when I saw Linda spot me out of the corner of my eye. So I cut him off and did the one thing I could think of to stop Linda's advances. I kissed him.

When I pulled away, his eyes were slightly wider, although his face was still the same as usual. I chuckled at his deer in the headlights expression and told him one thing before I got up and left. "Thanks for the help."

The next day, just to spite Rachel, I gave everyone a pez dispenser along with their other holiday gifts.


	5. Bored

**I seem to swear a lot when I write as Matt. Who knew? If you want one that doesn't have such a pottymouth, then I'm sorry. theBrillianceofNight swears just as much as me. But check hers out anyway.**

**Anyway, the prompt is "eggplant", "word", and "imaginative"**

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><p>"It turns out that Mello doesn't actually remember anything about the vodka incident," I informed Near one day, when Mello was off working on a case, my games had been confiscated, and I had nothing better to do than play with Near and his Legos.<p>

"Understandable," was all he replied with as he finished another skyscraper for our city.

"He's currently freaking out because I mentioned it, thinking he'd remember. And I refused to explain what happened, so he keeps trying to guess. His scenarios are pretty imaginative," I told him as I added to the next skyscraper.

Lately, I had discovered a nervous habit of mine by talking to Near: I've grown so accustomed to Mello's constant chatter that whenever I'm talking to someone who doesn't say much, I tend to ramble.

"At one point he asked if he tried to shag an eggplant," I stated bluntly. Near froze momentarily before continuing with his actions, although slower than before. "I don't know what I find more disturbing. That mental image or the fact that he even thought to ask that."

We were silent for a few minutes, building the Lego city in peace, before Near's cellphone rang.

He answered and said "Hello?" He remained quiet for a few minutes before hanging up. "It seems that Mello's butt decided to call me."

Of course, I snickered at that, mainly because that sentence just sounds so ridiculous coming out of Near's mouth.

"I have an idea for messing with him. What's something that Mello would be mortified if he tried to have sex with it?" I asked suddenly, cutting off my laughter. Near just blinked at me so I continued on my own. "Never mind. I thought of one."

With a wicked grin, I dialed Mello's phone, said only six words, then hung up on him.

"You tried to fuck a duck."


	6. Confused

**This one is short. I point out obvious facts.**

**The prompt is "horseradish coleslaw"**

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><p>If it weren't for the fact that I know he's a dude, I'd think Mello was pregnant. Seriously. He gets weird craving <em>all the time.<em>

The most obvious one is the chocolate. He's pretty much addicted to that stuff. (Just like a hormonal teenage girl.)

But then there's the bacon. That one makes sense, although I get mad that he pretty much flaunts the fact that I can't have it. (Other than Near, everybody I know likes bacon. I'd be surprised if Mello didn't.)

And the vodka obsession. (This one scares me the most. All I have to say is 'vodka incident.')

The rest are just phases he goes through. Fish, cornbread, turkey, water, spinach, mutton, asparagus, apple juice, pie, ice cream, oranges, cinnamon, venison, steak, cabbage, kale, turnip, carrot, potato, casserole, corn, tomato, grape juice, cranberry, barbecue sauce, cheese, gelatin, scrambled eggs, sherbert, pizza, pasta, yogurt, bread, chicken, grapefruit, pineapple, broccoli, ham, macaroni, cashews.

His most recent one is horseradish coleslaw.

Sometimes I question his sanity.


	7. Cursed

**Hello. The prompt is "apple" and "traveling"**

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><p>One of my prouder moments was when I started a curse.<p>

You know how sometimes there are objects that everyone believes is cursed, so they pass it around to others, thinking it'll save them from the curse? Like a chain letter?

Yeah. And I started one.

I feel so badass.

You see, it was this plastic apple that I had found.

Well, I say found, but in reality it was more like some vendor on the streets of London threw it at me. I don't know why. I was rather confused at the time.

Anyway, I kept it for a while, thinking I could use it for something. Dunno what _for, _but whatever.

Then one day I heard Linda talking about a chain letter. The idea hit me then and there, making me grin like a nutter and consequentially bewilder Mello.

The curse was simple - if you had the apple, you'd lose your most prized possession. The only way to get it back was to pass the apple on to someone else.

I put a tracker inside of it and got Mello to help me take the prized possession of whoever had the apple. Cos, you know, we had to make the curse appear real.

I was even the one who suggested the name when Linda asked my opinion. "La malédiction fausse." It's even more amusing to me because apparently they don't know French.

"Why French?" Mello had asked me later in an incredulous tone.

"I'ono. I just felt like making it French," was my only explanation for him.

"Seriously?" he had persisted.

I sighed. "Mello, I don't question your language choices. Don't question mine."

"The _hell?_ What language choices? I speak English, idiot," he had snapped.

"I'm pretty sure 'bloody fucking git' is not proper English," I deadpanned and he rolled his eyes at me.

The curse ended when some idiot gave Mello the apple, thinking it'd be funny to watch Mello go into a raging fit. What he didn't know was that I created the curse and had no intentions at _all_ of taking Mello's chocolate to fulfill it. Mello nearly mauled the guy for having the nerve to try to give him the apple. _That_ was fun to watch.


	8. Learned

**Prompt: "constriction" and "school"**

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><p>Fact: I am third spot at Wammy's House Orphanage.<p>

Fact: I don't give a damn about my grades.

Fact: Mello is second spot at Wammy's House Orphanage.

Fact: He wants to be number one.

Fact: Near is first spot at Wammy's House Orphanage.

"Dammit Matt!" Mello shouted, slamming his fist on his desk. I looked up from my DS, staring at him with tinted vision. Blinking, I pushed my googles up to the top of my head to see clearly. "I'm sick of you slacking off. I want to see you fucking try for once!"

"Um... what?" I had no idea what he was ranting about now. It seemed he had decided to stop making sense.

"Studying! I have never seen you study or do your homework! And it's bugging the hell out of me!" he rambled in annoyance. "Give me all your all your games, I want you to study for this next exam. And not lazy studying, you're going to study as much as I do."

I stared at him. "I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"I am absolutely serious," he replied rudely.

He ignored my many protests and well aimed punches as he gathered up all of my technology and locked it in one of his desk drawers. Smirking at my death glare, he slipped the key into the front pocket of his constricting leather pants, knowing I'd refuse to even try to get it back when it was so dangerously close to his dick.

"You bastard," I growled at him.

He laughed. "Better get studying."

He made me study with him for two weeks straight. I was hell for me.

In the end, I got the best grade in the class, even higher than Near. Mello tried to kill me for a month after that.

Fact: There is a reason I don't put any effort into my school work.


	9. Kissed

**I like doing these prompts. They're expanding my vocabulary. Well, not this next one, but still.**

**Prompt: "lipstick" and "only"**

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><p>"It's only a tradition," she had told me afterwards.<p>

After she pulled me away from the crowd as the countdown began.

After I reminded her that she's seen me kiss guys before.

After she shrugged it off easily.

After I stuttered as she got closer.

After she kissed me right as the new year began.

Only a tradition.

Her lip gloss tasted like Skittles.


	10. Amused

**Prompt: "reticent" and "Neanderthal"**

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><p>Many people agree with the statement "Near is very reticent." Probably even Near himself, but we wouldn't know because the only way to know is to ask him. And he doesn't say much.<p>

But being reticent doesn't mean he has no sense of humor.

Linda had decided to drag Near and I to a local park, having declared that he and I were too introverted to be normal teenage boys and other stuff I hadn't payed attention to.

I don't really know how long we were there for due to my spacing out after just five minutes of boredom. But I snapped out of it when I spotted some kids picking on Near. They looked to be about only a few years younger than us, maybe twelve or thirteen. They were calling him names and making fun of him for being an orphan.

I was just about to intervene when one of them came to the conclusion that Near must be stupid because he wasn't saying anything. So they started using what they must have thought were intelligent words, trying to make him feel dumb. They didn't know that they looked like idiots for misusing the vocabulary that Near used correctly on a regular basis. They even managed to mess up calling him a Neanderthal.

And I swear, as unbelievable as it is, I heard him laugh.


	11. Persuaded

**Prompt: "deception" and "badminton"**

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><p>"No Linda, you are not roping me into another one of your shenanigans. Last time I ended up losing all my money," I told her, using what she had dubbed my 'mean voice.'<p>

She paused momentarily in her haste to yank my arm off or drag me to the door. "Did you just say shenanigans?"

"Yes! And I don't want any part of them!" I repeated, getting frustrated.

"But Matt!" she whined. "I need your help! I was talking to these really bitchy girls yesterday and they were saying these really mean things to me and then one of them said that I was too ugly and nerdy to ever fall in love and I was just getting sick of them by that point, cos honestly, they were the total embodiment of bitch, you know what I mean? Anyway, I was just so fed up, so I lied and said I had a boyfriend. Well, they didn't believe me and we started arguing and eventually I agreed to bring my non-existent boyfriend to the badminton courts so they could have proof. That's where you come in: I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend."

I gaped at her. "I have no idea what you just said because I'm too busy trying to figure out how you managed to say that much without stopping for a breath."

She huffed in irritation. "I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend to get two bitchy girls to stop bothering me."

"No," I deadpanned.

"Please Matt? For me?" she whined, pouting and giving me her version of the puppy dog eyes.

I let out a long, annoyed sigh. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

She squealed in delight and gave me a tight hug, exclaiming her thanks repeatedly.

I am such a pushover.


	12. Divided

**Prompt: "divided" and "shell"**

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><p>Everyone was rather shell-shocked when I got ranked first in the end of the year exams. (Well, except Near. He didn't really seem fazed. He just said "congratulations" and acted as if it were a somewhat normal occurence. But who knows what was actually going on in that head of his.)<p>

They could all see that Mello was absolutely murderous. All those who were terrified took his side and ratted out any hiding place I could find to keep him from attacking them. All those who thought he was being ridiculous happened to be our age. And Near.

So, Wammy's had divided itself pretty unevenly. It was Mello and the younger kids against me and the older kids, with Near being the only one to consider himself not a part of the argument.

After a month of avoiding him, I finally got fed up and reminded him that it was _his_ fault in the first place; I never _wanted_ to study but he made me, and if he had just let me slack off in peace this never would have happened.

He punched me.

But he did calm down and let me back in our room without too much pain, so I'd say the argument was resolved. Somewhat. You know, after he took me bowling.


	13. Pissed

**Me and my friends do the thing I mention below. theBrillanceofNight and I are even in a set of "triplets." The third doesn't know. We should probably tell him...**

**Prompt: "limit" and "united"**

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><p>I don't know why, but girls have a tendency to make up strange "families" among their friends. Like claiming to be "siblings," when they're not, or "married," <em>when they're not.<em>

It's annoying. It's something that I'd rather not have to deal with.

But thanks to _someone_ (Linda), I apparently have my own family. Because girls like to rope their guy friends into their little games, uniting them with weird relations.

And they don't even try to make the relations make sense. No. They're just random. Completely and utterly _on the spot._

I would like to make three things clear:

I don't mind calling Linda my sister; she's annoying enough to be one.

Calling Near my "son" is pushing the limit, but I'll deal with it to keep Linda from getting mad.

But as amusing as it was to watch him flip out when Near called him "Dad," I am _NOT _Mello's wife.

That is just _crossing the fucking line._


	14. Covered

**Prompt: "wonderland" and "temperature"**

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><p>I may say that I'm not outdoorsy, or athletic, or social, or active, or anything similar, but I do enjoy winter.<p>

Everything covered in clean white snow. All the dirt and grime from housing a bunch of rowdy, intelligent orphans is hidden. No constant rain to dampen our moods. Just calm, cold peace.

I'm one of the few here at Wammy's that actually enjoys the winter. I could sit outside for hours on a cold winter day just admiring the white wonderland.

But even so, I eventually have to come back inside to warm up. So, everytime I do, I grab Near's bare feet with my freezing hands and make him jump before going on my way. You'd think he'd put socks on to prevent it, but he doesn't. Weird.


	15. Decieved

**Prompt: "sanguine" and "excellent"**

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><p>It was clear to see that they were pissed. After all, not only had Linda proved them wrong, but she was keen on rubbing it in as well. Not to mention, she was so damn cheerful. She was fucking sanguine, that's how bad she was. She was so cheerful that it needed to be expressed through intelligent vocabulary instead of just plain old cheerful.<p>

It was kinda getting on my nerves too.

Linda had mase us come up with an incredibly thorough and elaborate backstory for our fake relationship beforehand. Mainly because she's supposedly a genius at art and theatre is a _form_ of art.

She insisted that we should hold hands, starting when we got into the girls' eyesight up until we were given a good opportunity to stop. So we had a relatively normal (for us) conversation as we went over to the disbelieving girls and I tried to pretend that it was perfectly normal to hold her hand. Even though it definitely wasn't.

I got to release her hand when I introduced myself to them, because of the customary handshake and all. Their names were Mia and Celeste.

We went through the expected interrogation about our so-called relationship. I managed not to be too snarky and sarcastic when Linda spoke (because apparently, boyfriends don't do that). We seem to have come across as a real couple to them, which was great for Linda.

When we got back to Wammy's, she grinned at me and said, "You know, for an amateur, you are an amazing actor! Excellent performance!"

I just rolled my eyes.


	16. Grounded

**If you have a problem with the fact that I'm making up characters, too bad.**

**Prompt: "kitchen" and "football"**

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><p>In retrospect, it was an idiotic idea.<p>

For once, it was Calvin's fault. Calvin was Near's roomate (because, yes, the social outcast did have to share a room, just like the rest of us. He didn't have special privileges. It just wasn't well known) and he usually rather quiet. He claimed that he didn't want to get involved in Near's ring of friends (which were, apparently, Mello, Linda, and I) because we were a little too crazy for him. Completely understandable, actually.

But he had been utterly flabbergasted to discover that Near had never played football. (Or "soccer" because Calvin was American and refused to use British-English). So he decided to have a football match.

It was Near, Mello (who only agreed to play because I threatened his chocolate), Linda, Rachel, and I versus Calvin and his friends, Lorelei, Hannah, Zane, and Quentin.

But it was raining outside, so we ended up playing in the kitchens.

Like I said, an idiotic idea.


	17. Ripped

**Prompt: "golf" and "ribbon"**

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><p>An angry Mello is a reckless Mello.<p>

I won't go into detail, but Mello is now on house arrest, grounded from all kinds of entertainment, and completely banned from having chocolate.

Let's just say, if you are a figure of authority in a teenage infested facility, leave your golf ribbons at your home and not in your office.

And don't let Mello carry scissors on his person.

That is all.


	18. Pained

**Prompt: "temple" and "exchange"**

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><p>At the moment, the youngest at Wammy's House is a four year old boy named Quinn. Since he's only four, us older kids have to watch him on Saturdays, when we get to go hang out in London.<p>

On the day it was my turn, I had a Christma gift I had to exchange for something else because I had gotten the same game twice.

We were at the counter waiting to pay when he bumped his head. I crouched down to make sure he was alright. He was, but he cried anyway. Because he's four and four year olds cry when they aren't even hurt.

I panicked and jokingly said, "And _that _body part is your temple. Remember that, alright?" Thankfully, that got him to laugh.

I seem to make a decent baby-sitter. Who knew?


	19. Shattered

**This is the shortest yet. Prompt: "cyclone"**

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><p>I still remember the day the tornado hit.<p>

The sirens blared. My little baby sister wailed as the loud noise assaulted her ears. Mom panicked. So much glass in our house. So much _god damned glass._

Dad came home from work to a brave woman protecting her three year old son and infant daughter from the onslaught of shards.

_"Bye-bye Mommy. Have fun in Heaven."_


	20. Insulted

**"hackney" I really like this word.**

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><p>While Mello was the one to teach me all the swear words I know, Near was always the one who had to educate me on the actual meaning of them.<p>

I was eleven when I first heard Linda tell Mello to "stop PMSing!" Mello and Linda were twelve and Near was ten. Linda was avoiding us while Mello was being pissy and refused to talk to either of us, so ignorant, innocent me had to ask Near if he knew what it meant.

"She means, 'Mello, stop emulating a woman.'" That one was pretty amusing to learn, I have to admit.

A month later, Mello got mad at me and called me a "faggot."

Near's definition was, "'You should be burned at the stake.'" I was rather offended.

A week later, I first heard Mello say the phrase "fuck you." You'd think I'd have learned by then, but I turned to Near.

"'I'm sexually attracted to and thus must insult you.'" I was traumatized at the time.

Even now, Near and I seem to have a pattern. Whenever Mello calls me by some new insult, like "hackney" for example, I turn to Near and say something along the lines of "Did he just call me a horse?"

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><p><strong>AND NO, THESE ARE NOT MY VIEWS ON GAYS. FAGGOT IS A DISGUSTING WORD.<strong>


	21. Burned

**"castle" and "candle"**

**It seems I'm playing a game of 'how screwed up can we make Matt?'**

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><p>At three years old, Cassy adored our step-mom. (And, truth be told, so did I.)<p>

She was fantastic. She was upbeat, out-going, energetic, caring, and loving. She called Cassy her Princess and called me her Warrior (because I was obsessed with warriors and fighting as a five year old). She had met Dad a year after our real Mom died. She took on the mother figure that we had lost in our lives.

But she had sleeping problems. So she took pills that helped her sleep. But once she took them, nothing could wake her up. She was out like a light.

Like I said, Cassy adored her. She wanted to be just like her. And one of the things she saw her do was light candles when she took a bath.

No matter how many times I tried, my step-mom wouldn't wake up. When the flames grew, I called the police.

"Hello? The bathroom's on fire and Mommy won't wake up. Cassy fell asleep in the tub."

And so it was the princess burned her castle down.


	22. Watched

**"observe"**

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><p>When people see me with a video game, they just assume I'm playing it. They don't consider that maybe it's paused. Maybe it's dead. Maybe it has no batteries.<p>

Maybe I'm paying attention to every word they say.

They don't notice I'm listening to Linda's planning to drag me somewhere. But they wonder how I manage to avoid her all day when she tries to fulfill the plan.

They don't notice I'm listening when Zane mentions sabotaging Mello's project as revenge for some rude comment he said to him. But they wonder how I know to inform the teacher of who the culprit is.

They don't know I'm listening as Hannah announces that alcohol will be present at the party sh'e planning. But they wonder why Mello never takes her up on her party invitation.

They don't realize that sometimes I just like to sit back and observe.

Even Near misses it as I watch him play with his toys, acting out some violent battle with his robots and action figures.

"You're actually a really violent person, aren't you?" I say, causing him to startle and drop the robot in his hand. The robot falls and finishes the already half-destroyed Lego city. He stares at me. "My game has been dead for twenty minutes. I'm out of batteries, so I just decided to watch you. You're pretty entertaining once you get into it."

He continues to stare. "Don't watch me."

Eight weeks later, he fails to notice that I didn't listen.


	23. Imitated

**"holiday" and "turn"**

* * *

><p>Come to think of it, it was partially my fault that my half-brother died.<p>

He had born a few months after Cassy's death, when I was six.

When I was eight and he was two, I slipped and fell down the stairs. I had a minor concussion, but I was fine.

New Year's Eve, I turned the corner and saw my little brother play a game of monkey-see, monkey-do.

Let's just say, I'm not a big fan of stairs.


	24. Injured

**This one amuses me. "goose"**

* * *

><p>Birds are scary. Birds are scary because birds are mean.<p>

The trip to America had been boring most of us, so when Quentin saw an advertisement for a zoo, it seemed like a good idea at the time. After all, Central Park Zoo in New York City was a tourist trap, Near had never been to a zoo, and Mello kept protesting and we were just trying to make him mad.

Now, I have nothing against aviaries, despite the fact that they are loud, covered in bird crap, and give me a pounding headache. My issue is with the fact that geese run rampant in America.

Geese. That are easily provoked. And like to bite.

Mello got his revenge.

I got injured in the balls.


	25. Severed

**"gash"**

* * *

><p>I don't normally learn from example or from experience. I need things spelled out directly in front of me in order to clearly get the point.<p>

But gash is such a simple word. Just one meaning. Even rhymes with the cause of the one on my step-mom's stomach.

Car crash.

Gash.

And the ash from the engine fires that lit the grass.

Gash: a deep, long cut.

It's a little difficult to not learn that one from example.


	26. Bothered

**"relevant"**

**This one is my all-time favorite of these. Most of this is from an actual discussion between me and theBrillianceofNight.**

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'm not saying that you should be straight, but why do you like guys? Don't get me wrong, I love that you're gay, but I'm curious," Linda rambled as she barged into my room. Mello looked up from the book he was reading for a moment before rollingnhis eyes and going back to it.<p>

I rubbed my eyes and propped myself on my elbow. Why couldn't I ever get a nap that's a reasonable length? "Girls are squishy," I mumbled, still half asleep.

"Squishy? Boys have squishy parts too, Matt," Linda pointed out. "That argument doesn't hold up.

"What squishy parts do boys have?" I asked, sighing. I just wanted to sleep. Why couldn't I?

"I've kicked a boy's area before. You're guys' 'wee-wees' are pretty squishy," she said.

"Yeah, well, do your boobs ever get a hard on?" I asked rhetorically.

"Oh, good point..." she replied, trailing off. I was just starting to doze back to sleep when she continued. "You guys think you're so tough because blood likes to rush to your 'area.' Well, we girls have that! Sort of. And ours is monthly. But that much blood loss is dangerous!"

"Uh huh," I mumbled.

"Not to mention, we survive it with the most painful cramps that you guys never have to experience! And bloating!" she went on, her voice raised.

"Okay Linda," I muttered.

"Who cares if you get boners? That's your fault for having naughty thoughts! We girls don't have a choice in the matter! Nature just likes screwing with us!" she ranted.

The last thing I heard before I fell back asleep was Mello saying, "Linda, how is this relevant?"


	27. Abandoned

**"train" and "cabinet"**

* * *

><p>I once took a quiz online that gave me a title. I don't remember where I found it, what it was caused, or why I took it. All I remember is the title it gave me.<p>

I remember that my dad used to store the liquor in the blue cabinent. Each cabinent had a different color and a different use.

Red was for first-aid. Yellow was for cans and spices. Green was for cleaning supplies.

Blue was for alcohol.

There must be something about me that makes people drop dead. Because when dad got drunk, he got emotional. When he got emotional, he stepped in front of a train.

First my mom. Then my sister. Then my half-brother. Then my step-mom. Last my dad.

I seem to make people die.

The quiz told me that my title was 'the killer.'

How fitting.


End file.
